Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Read: April 23, 2014
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In terms of a wartime romance, Cara Langston's Battle Hymns is exactly what I expected. I'll be the first to admit there is a certain predictability to the plot, but I found Langston's treatment of the material and the themes she incorporates into the story balanced the more typical elements of the narrative, ultimately transforming it into something both memorable and moving.
Charlotte in particular stands out to me. A volunteer nurse, she joins the war effort in order to keep busy, but discovers a tangible passion for the profession. This personal journey, her growing self-awareness, wasn't something I'd anticipated, but I really liked the contrast it brought to the larger story. Like a phoenix, Charlotte finds strength and rises from the ashes of the conflict in a beautiful display of fortitude and perseverance.
Parallel to John and Will, Charlotte carries wounds that will never truly heal, but here again Langston managed to surprise me. Set in an age before PTSD was understood or really even acknowledged, the author took great pains to illustrate how varied the disorder can be. I've seen authors struggle with this, too often defining the condition by the extremes, which is why I sincerely appreciated Langston's more intuitive handling of the material.
Peppered with authentic detail, Battle Hymns is an eloquent historical that offers rare insight to the intimacies of lives touched by conflict. A poignant debut that holds much promise for Langston's future efforts.
Charlotte in particular stands out to me. A volunteer nurse, she joins the war effort in order to keep busy, but discovers a tangible passion for the profession. This personal journey, her growing self-awareness, wasn't something I'd anticipated, but I really liked the contrast it brought to the larger story. Like a phoenix, Charlotte finds strength and rises from the ashes of the conflict in a beautiful display of fortitude and perseverance.
Parallel to John and Will, Charlotte carries wounds that will never truly heal, but here again Langston managed to surprise me. Set in an age before PTSD was understood or really even acknowledged, the author took great pains to illustrate how varied the disorder can be. I've seen authors struggle with this, too often defining the condition by the extremes, which is why I sincerely appreciated Langston's more intuitive handling of the material.
Peppered with authentic detail, Battle Hymns is an eloquent historical that offers rare insight to the intimacies of lives touched by conflict. A poignant debut that holds much promise for Langston's future efforts.
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But try as they may, it was impossible for anyone to forget the war. Life couldn’t return to what it had been five years earlier. The conflict affected them all, not one soul left untouched. They were, after all, years of sacrifice. John gave up four years of his life and the comforts of home. Charlotte offered her naivety, and Will his psychological stability. They were years she would never forget, ones that would affect her for the rest of her life.
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Check Out All the Stops on Cara Langston's Battle Hymns Virtual Book Tour Schedule
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